Hmmm, well. She's young, has all her hair, is talented, precise, flexible, focussed, light, strong, determined, confident, improving all the time, female, American, got a long future in climbing ahead of her. In other words everything opposite to me, although we do have one thing in common - she's short. But damn, now she's growing taller!

Some of those US problems get real highball so some here might say maybe another case of a young talent being coached to potentially lure others into dangerous territory. I'd say sod that......very well done Ashima.

In reply to UKC News:
I think Ashima is amazing but the guy in the video just came across as a complete prat. He acted as if she couldn't say what she thought about the problems herself even though she was the one actually climbing them, and then telling her to press her foot harder on Crown of Aragon when doing that move as if climbing V13 doesn't qualify you to know when and when not to press your foot harder.

In reply to UKC News:
I had to turn this off! I'm all for getting kids into climbing and I cant wait to take my son when he's old enough, but this is something else. Pushing a 10 year old girl to do things that her body isn't developed enough for is damn irresponsible and a bit sickening to watch. She is a child and strangely enough she should be out there being a child, and having a childhood, not being groomed into what her parents want her to be. They guy in the video is clearly pushing her way too hard. UKC and other websites should not be promoting this.

In reply to mattdebenham: If you had taken the time to do some background checks, you'd realise that Ashima actually wanted to go climbing, not something her parents pushed on her. I thought being a child was about being happy doing what you want carefree ? That's certainly what it was for me and if she is enjoying what she does then why not ? Good on her !

Indeed - the minifilm in last years Reel Rock Tour DVD was illuminating in that regard, she comes across as very mature for her age and in addition she's a keen and psyched climber with the same sort of ideas as us older folk in terms of having a wish list - there was definitely a clip of her going through the guide with the coach and picking out the stuff she wanted to try.

> (In reply to mattdebenham)That's certainly what it was for me and if she is enjoying what she does then why not ? Good on her !

The potential issue is that she may be damaging her joints by training hard enough to get to V13. There is clear medical advice that growing children should not overdo finger training. Gymnastics had similar problems when young girls could win competitions but were left injured in later life.

> (In reply to UKC News)
> I had to turn this off! I'm all for getting kids into climbing and I cant wait to take my son when he's old enough, but this is something else. Pushing a 10 year old girl to do things that her body isn't developed enough for is damn irresponsible and a bit sickening to watch. She is a child and strangely enough she should be out there being a child, and having a childhood, not being groomed into what her parents want her to be. They guy in the video is clearly pushing her way too hard. UKC and other websites should not be promoting this.

Why is the guy in the video "clearly pushing her way too hard", is doesn't seem that clear to me.

She looks to me like she is having a great childhood, why is this not having a childhood?

Thinking around cranking hard early seems to be a movable feast, the BMC medical advice used to be no international bouldering competitions under 16, yet today they're posting about the formation of a GB Junior Climbing Team to take part in international bouldering competitions.

That change is in a couple of years, I think, maybe based on evidence from the US, where, I've been told, bouldering is much bigger as a kids sport than it is over here.

Any kid who is plugged into a coaching system that can get them this far is more than likely being looked after well. The kids who might be in more danger would be ones not good enough to get into a coached scheme but still over training and trying their best.

She loves climbing and wants to climb. Sounds like she's having a brilliant childhood. I'd swap it for my (fairly average) childhood any day. She still goes to school you know! Its not like she's living out of a van.

And what makes you assume her parents are pushing her into it? You just can't perform like that unless you want it, no matter how much pushing is done.